Category Archives: Introducing

It’s acceptable to fall in love with a song, right? K, good. Through lush synths and blissful vocals, My Body create a warming, dreamlike aura of sound. They may only have one song out right now, but I’m hooked.

New Cat, ambles along like a stroll through a moonlit beach tide. My Body’s debut single cradles you into a your own private moment of swoon… and I’m forever in love.

My Body, a product of Portland has since relocated to Brooklyn. They will be touring the west coast this summer to showcase their debut EP. Can’t wait for more from these guys. Enjoy!

Share this:

Like this:

I have sat and listened to this song on repeat for close to 45 minutes (2x). Day Joy is here.

You know there are those moments where it just clicks. Where you realize a band will go. Purple is that moment for Day Joy. Purple, with its simplistic and enchanting melody, evokes bittersweet emotions of your fondest moments. Soothing and steady, the percussive and stringed elements assure you that you’re heading in the right direction, yet there’s apprehension of the cool, dark unknown which lies ahead.

“As the season is turning purple” – It’s a known factor. The seasons change. Years come to their calculated end. All we can do is reflect on the moments that have brought us here and know that cycle repeats. Day Joy just hopes the next cycle betters the last.

Share this:

Like this:

People, there’s a new group out of Perth called Bears and Dolls. What’s even better is they pretty much kill it on a regular basis. Indie-pop is their game and they are every bit as strange and quirky as their tumblr page would lead you to believe. No, literally, their posts leave me terrified, bemused, and full of giggles – all in the same instant. I can only imagine hanging out with these guys is a constant battle of one-upmanship in the epic game of WTF!?

It’s this sort of approach that makes their music shine. As a six-piece ensemble, they cover just about every instrument grouping you could imagine, often all in just one song. Their sound is uber creative and melds perfectly with Brooke Wilkie’s ethereal vocal delivery. She must be like some kind of human bear angel doll hybrid. Just spit-balling here, guys. Back to the music. It’s crisp and never predictable. I’ve listened through all of their stuff about a dozen times and every go around, it’s like I’m hearing the songs for the first time. I know that reads like a greeting card, but back off, it’s true.

You can download these two singles of the Bears and Dolls Facebook. Make sure you follow them in all social outlets to be there when this band inevitably goes global on us.

Like this:

Here is a brand new outfit hailing (once again) from Southampton UK. Do we have a new indie hotbed for upcoming bands? Move over Portland and Perth, Southampton is trending! South Pole is so fresh, they’re barely out of the plastic wrap. All you will be able to find out there from this quintet is a facebook page and two bomb demo tracks.

South Pole are a crossover between rock overture and ambient dreamscape. With each listen, you’re never quite sure whether you should be focusing on the subtle nuances of the post-rock-esque instrumental collection or Emily Bacon’s center-stage, raw vocal power.

Absolutely love the quick insertions of heavy reverb in Skua; effectively amplifying the soothing, ambient nature of South Pole. Take a listen for yourself and help spread the word. Be on the lookout for a debut EP sometime later this year. And as always, keep tuned to RIF for all the latest news/updates.

Share this:

Like this:

I’m going to put aside my USA flag for a second to rep an incredible new band from the UK. It’s a crime that Pale Seas are unsigned. Anyone up for starting a record label? For now we can enjoy these guys under the radar. A steady stream of incredible music all to ourselves…but not for long.

Pale Seas describe themselves as “dream folk” — a genre I can’t recall ever being applied in this day and age. In line with the down-tempo, shoe gazing sphere, Pale Seas create mystery and mystique with their airy, lofty backdrops. Each song will have you dipping in and out of your own personal soundtrack. Jacob Scott leads on vocals. Creating semi-haunting harmonies which are linked through deep, guitar led instrumentations.

With each new song posted to their SoundCloud, Pale Seas show another side to their complexity and depth. Love lost and heartbreak is the overarching motif that pulses throughout. Every listen results in a new favorite track. I guess it really depends on my emotional state in that moment. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Like this:

Little and less is known about London indie-pop outfit Arthur Beatrice. Even their label, Open Assembly, is shrouded in mystery. Hell, they currently list just one artist?..Arthur Beatrice. All of this unknown has me brimming with excitement. Their future is an open expanse and the beginning looks undeniably promising.

The beginning, two incredible singles featuring Ella Girardot’s powerfully transparent vocals. The first single, Midland, provides the perfect taste of enigmatic energy that defines Arthur Beatrice’s sound. Forces come together like unintended reactions to fractions in time, all driven to a common conclusion by the woven intricacies developed within each instrumentation. Not Without Thinking provides a more packaged experience as more of the band is featured throughout the song. Don’t worry about missing anything from these guys, Rarity In Form will be all over it.

Like this:

Nearly home after walking through an ominous, post-rain mist, I found myself square in the middle of a breathtaking new album. I kept walking. Each step a result of the music unfolding between my ears.

Port St. Willow’sHoliday will remove you from the physical world and take you through lands of dark, misunderstood mysteries. It’s simple and at the same time a carefully developed complexity.

Nick Principe of Brooklyn, NY is the talent behind Port St. Willow. It goes without saying that Principe’s influence draws heavily from RIF favorite, The Antlers. Holidayis meant to be listened to as one, continuous song, front to back. Each track’s sound, as well as the lyrics, unfold as a breathtaking story. Every listen takes on a new and more intricate definition.

Take a well-deserved 1 hr break with Port St. Willow. You deserve it and will be thankful you did. Chao.

Like this:

Portland has delivered yet another stellar band with oh so much promise. Lost Lander is a music project founded by lead singer Matt Sheehy. Their debut, DDRT, is a full length album that delivers on so many levels. Pretty impressive that a work of such quality and depth could come out a “project“. Sheehy, stick with this band. You’ll go far.

I have listened to this album front to back and back to front several times. Refreshingly, each song carries its own uniqueness, yet flows with ease. Lost Lander’s sound is packaged beautifully by Sheehy’s rich vocal delivery and pain-streaked lyrics. Instrumentation steeped in folk influences provide bold directional changes within each track. All while you are continually wooed by the supporting vocalists.

There are many standouts on this album; though, Cold Feet, Afraid of Summer, and The Sailor have me thinking Lost Lander is likely an incredible act to catch live. I wait…

It only took one listen for me to be absolutely hooked on Conveyor. Go ahead, try to pinpoint their sound. Not easy. It can be best described as experimental folk-pop with a happy blend of electronic loops and sythns and a hint of chillwave (I know, right??). This fusion is subtle but it plays perfectly with Conveyor’s unpredictable range of moods.

With each release, this Brooklyn based group comes more and more into their own. Mukraker rolls onward effortlessly like a nonchalant wanderer not caring where his journey may end. Because in the end, there’s more Conveyor, and that’s all anyone needs. This unpredictable quality leaves much to be answered, but shit, it’s exciting and reminds me that there is no “forefront” of music. It’s all around us, we just have to listen.

These guys will be hitting DC and Richmond on their very first US Tour this summer. Stay tuned to RIF for updates on tour dates and cities. Enjoy.